Antihypertensive treatment decreased serum leptin levels in severe preeclampsia during pregnancy

Background. Plasma leptin levels in preeclamptic patients have been reported to be similar compared to those of normotensive pregnant women. Nonetheless, no reports have dealt with the effect of anti hypertensive treatment and leptin in preeclamptic patients. Methods: The study involved three groups of a similar age, body mass index and weeks of gestation. The groups were 30 normal pregnant women and 23 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (SPE). The SPE patients were not treated prior to admission and the treatment was a single dose of a-methyldopa or hydralazine alone or in combination. The samples were taken at random in the afternoon (isotonic saline or pharmacological treatment) and 1 h before and after the treatment was given. Leptin serum levels were determined by a commercial sandwich ELISA assay. Results: Leptin levels of the SPE group prior to the treatment were similar to the levels recorded for the normal pregnant women. However, after 1 h leptin levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the nontreated patients (8.0 +/- 1.5) compared with those treated (5.15 +/- 0.9). Conclusion: These marked differences between treated and nontreated patients suggest that leptin levels may be modulated by a single anti hypertensive treatment in preeclamptic patients with a discrete increase in blood pressure.